1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an improved exercise machine in general and, in particular, to an improved method, system and program for controlling an exercise machine. Still more particularly, the present invention relates to a method, system and program for controlling an exercise machine via control signals received from multiple types of computing devices that are independent of any one exercise machine, but may be utilized interactively with the exercise machine intended for use by a particular user.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A fitness craze has recently swept the United States and other countries. From fat-free potato chips to treadmills, people around the world have become obsessed with weight loss and healthy living. Accordingly, record numbers of new fitness products/exercise equipment from multiple manufacturers have emerged to meet this obsession (including stair climbers, treadmills, recumbent bicycles, ski machines, rowing machines, weight lifting machines, and the like).
Many pieces of exercise equipment, when utilized regularly, are very useful for weight loss, for improving cardiovascular stamina, and for strengthening various muscles. Most exercise equipment includes a monitoring device that may include a pulse monitor, a distance meter, a rate monitor, a time monitor, a strain gauge, an accelerometer and/or any other sensor for measuring the physical activity/performance level of an user on the equipment. Moreover, monitoring devices typically request personal data from the user such as age, weight and desired physical fitness level. The monitoring device utilizes the personal data in combination with physical exertion and heart rate to estimate calories burned, fitness levels met, and other fitness related data. In addition, the monitor may adjust the resistance or speed of a piece of exercise equipment in order to aid the user in reaching and/or maintaining a fitness level for that exercise session.
One limiting factor of many exercise machines and monitors is that the user must reenter their personal data to the monitor each time the user utilizes an exercise machine. In addition, most exercise machines do not have a previous history of the user from which to provide data about improvement and to provide additional fitness goals. However, one solution to providing a history for a user is provided in U.S. Pat. No. 5,335,188 (""188). In ""188, a speed and time elapsed of an exercise session on a bicycle is recorded. The user may choose to save the speed and time of an exercise session under an identifier for the user. The user may later select a particular exercise session as a standard of performance for subsequent performances whereby each subsequent performance is compared with the selected exercise session. However, while the bicycle monitor memory stores exercise sessions for a particular user at that bicycle, in a club or other venue where multiple bicycles are provided, the user may not always have access to the bicycle at which the session data is stored in order to add to the data.
Another limiting factor of many exercise machines is that they operate and monitor the user independent of one another. However, cross-training across multiple machines is popular in order to exercise different parts of the body. An individual may spend 20 minutes on a treadmill working a hills program where the monitor for the treadmill calculates a certain number of calories burned and other fitness related data. The individual may then move to a rowing machine that does not realize that the user has already worked for 20 minutes and thus calculates calories burned and other fitness related data as if the user only worked out on the rowing machine. An overall fitness level achieved by the user after working on both machines is not provided.
One solution to cross-training across multiple machines is provided in U.S. Pat. No. 5,598,849 (""849). In ""849, an individual is provided with a user monitor that has a preferred exercise regimen of physical parameters such as heart rate stored therein. The user is required to monitor at least one physical parameter with the assistance of the user monitor and is preferably required during exercise to control his exercise to maintain the physical parameter as closely as possible to the preset values. After exercising is completed, the monitored physical parameters are proffered from the user monitor and sent to a master data processing system where the monitored parameters are stored and compared with the preset parameters in order to develop a fitness profile. However, a real-time fitness profile is not provided by the prior art. In addition, the exercise regimen is not alterable during the workout. Moreover, the user monitor is limited in that it operates independent of the exercise machine and therefore does not provide feedback to the exercise machine in order that resistance or another variable may be adjusted.
Moreover, another limiting factor of many exercise machines is that they are boring to utilize because of their inability to encourage a user to continue exercising. Display screens that depict a user""s location within a selected exercise program may be provided; however, they typically include dull graphics. one solution to improving graphical rendering is provided in U.S. Pat. No. 5,947,868 (""868). In the ""868 patent, an exercise monitor outputs a signal representative of the performance level of a user utilizing the exercise equipment (e.g. pulse rate, distance traveled, time exercised, rate of exercise, etc.). The performance level signal then is fed to a video game player wirelessly or via a cable.
The video game player preferably utilizes a hand-held video game player. To simulate the user, the output from the exercise monitor is utilized to control the video game character""s performance level within a video game that runs on the video game player. For example, the lifetime of a video game character may be increased by peddling faster. However, while the video game player provides a graphical venue by which the user controls a video game character according to their fitness level, other types of graphical rendering, other than a video game are not provided. In addition, in order to utilize the video game player, a monitor that supplies a particular type of performance level signal must be coupled to the exercise machine. Another limiting factor of many exercise machines is that they do not provide a display that is adjustable dependent upon the user. For example, existing systems are limited in that they do not offer displaying output from an exercise machine in a particular language, dependent upon the user.
Yet another limiting factor of exercise machines is that the actual usage of exercise machines is typically not trackable by an exercise machine manufacturer. In addition, exercise machines are limited because in order to purchase an upgrade for an exercise machine, one is typically required to purchase an entirely new apparatus, which can be costly.
Therefore, in view of the aforementioned, it would be advantageous to provide an exercise machine that is enabled to receive personal data, fitness goals and/or control signals for a particular user from multiple types of data storage media and computing devices that are independent of any one exercise machine. In particular, it would be advantageous to receive such data from a data storage media that is enabled to be utilized interactively with any one exercise machine while the particular user is exercising. In addition, it would be advantageous to provide for an exercise machine to support removable output interfaces such that the particular user can provide the type of output interface desired. Moreover, it would be advantageous to provide an exercise machine that may broadcast current usage information to a manufacturer and may receive upgrades from a manufacturer.
In view of the foregoing, it is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an improved exercise machine.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an improved method, system and program for controlling an exercise machine.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an improved method, system and program for controlling an exercise machine via control signals received from multiple types of computing devices that are independent of any one exercise machine, but may be utilized interactively with the exercise machine intended for use by a particular user.
In accordance with the present invention, an exercise machine receives exercise-related data for a particular user via a communication interface with an independent computing device specified by the particular user, such as a portable computer system, personal storage device, or network system. The exercise machine specifies control of the exercise machine according to the exercise-related data for the particular user, such that a particular level of control of the exercise machine is specified according to exercise-related data for the particular user from the independent computing device. In addition, the exercise machine transmits indicators of usage of the exercise machine to a server system that may be utilized by a manufacturer to track the usage of a particular exercise machine.
All objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the following detailed written description.